How does it feel compared to your first spell at the club?
It’s so nice to see where I came from. Arsenal always felt big and successful in my eyes, but looking at how far we’ve come is amazing. I’m so glad to see that some parts of the club have stayed the same, like the values and the atmosphere, while huge improvements have been made in terms of facilities and growth off the pitch.
The club’s ambitions are sky-high, especially this season, and you feel that across both men’s and women’s teams. It’s a really inspirational environment to be in. I’m motivated to succeed as an individual player and for our team to be the best it can be, so we can keep that trophy cabinet full.
What have you worked on specifically since joining the club?
It’s always hard when you move to a new club because there are a lot of adaptations you have to make. Every team plays differently and it’s so important to get to know your new team-mates, on and off the pitch. That takes time, but I never felt like anyone was rushing me or that process. The girls have been great, the coaching staff have been great, and I’ve just focused on what I need to improve on.
I think I’ve completely changed as a player compared to the start of the season. That’s something I noticed when I was here as a kid – you have to step up and maintain your standards to play at the same level as the rest of the girls.
I’ve been working on all areas of my game, but I definitely think my passing and one-on-one defending have improved. As a team we love having the ball, which has allowed me to work on my technical ability in possession. The variety of opposition has been a great challenge, too. The WSL has developed so much, even since I started playing, but we’re also constantly up against different styles and top players in the Champions League as well. That requires a lot of adapting.
I came to Arsenal for a reason and I knew I was good enough to be here. Right now, I’m happy with how much I’ve improved and hopefully I can keep that up.
How have you found working under Renée and our coaching staff?
I’ve really enjoyed it. Az (D’Antino) is very funny and he likes to keep the motivation and spirits high, which is exactly what we all need during tough moments. Renée has been amazing and it’s nice to have someone you can have good, honest conversations with. From our very first chat back in the summer, I loved her positivity around setting the ambitions for this club. Especially over the past few months, you can see how much we all want to achieve for this team because we’re fighting for it.
